So I See... Konting Pananaw... LITO BANAYO

Monday, September 1, 2008

See what this enterprise of incompetence our peace negotiators under the baton of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has wrought upon our nation? Now the lumads, our indigenous tribes in Mindanao, from Atas to Bagobos to Manobos to Higaonons to Subanens, also want the same kind of terms given the Moros. If the lumads have the kind of armed strength that the MILF has, they could well threaten this "strong" republic of Doña Gloria and Senor Esperon as well. That means all of Mindanao will be lost to the "strong" republic. What a big mess.

And soon, every ethno-linguistic group in this country will want their own "body part" removed from the "strong republic." Well, maybe all she wants is to head the Republic of Pampanga. I'm sure the king and queen of jueteng "bolitas" and the king and prince of "balas", or bato't buhangin from Pinatubo, will willingly oblige.

One thing that bugs me about this separatist binge though is, who's going to pay the national debt? The national debt, both foreign and domestic that has ballooned during the term of Doña Gloria? How do we divide the debt pile? Maybe we can inventory the kilometers of roads and bridges financed by public borrowing, and charge each federal state accordingly. Maybe. But what about the kurakot - the commissions, the "tongpats", the kickback, which in this particular reign has exceeded all public endurance, bigger than the real cost of projects? Can we charge all that to the Republic of Pampanga?

If we did that, why the Kapampangans will kick out their presidenta ning kabalen, faster than the Pinedas are trying to get barangay signatures to recall Among Ed.

Meanwhile, Vince Lazatin of Pera at Pulitika, a non-governmental organization that undertook the tedious job of monitoring actual broadcast minutes in the 2007 electoral campaign, has come out with a potentially lethal report. Lazatin, whose family name is highly regarded by Kapampangans, lists the big spenders whose accumulated air time for political advertising on television and radio, exceeded the legal limit of 120 minutes for TV and 180 minutes for radio.

Among the big spenders in 2007 are losers Prospero Pichay, the former OWWA administrator-pretender since reduced to LWUA appointee by his beloved Boss Woman Gloria, Miguelito el Defensor, as well as winners Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda. They or their campaign handlers bought more time than was allowable under the Fair Election Law.

Now Ferdinand Rafanan, who heads the Comelec's legal department, reminds us that apart from fines and jail sentences, the violators could be dealt with a lethal blow, which is perpetual disqualification from holding public office. So what is he waiting for?

Dura lex sed lex, right? All the Comelec has to do is ask Pera at Pulitika, through Vince Lazatin, who has been a consistent anti-corruption crusader, to show their records. They could likewise ask Nielsen to produce their monitoring sheets. It should be fairly easy to do real accounting of actual air time versus what the candidates submitted to the Comelec under oath. It should be such a relief to the country if for once, the Comelec showed real resolve to get our election laws followed, no matter who gets hurt.

In any case, voters come 2010 and even beyond, should remember who the transgressors of election spending limits are. Kung sa ganyan, nagpapalusot, what more when it comes to public funds? Di palulusutan din tayo.

Meanwhile, the once humongous Lakas, the party that catapulted Doña Gloria to power, and which of late has been treated like a leprous third-class citizen in the administration coalition of kakampis and sipsips, has been trying to bellow political noise. Except hardly anyone has noticed.

Lakas factotum Rey Roquero bragged about their multi-faceted presidential bevy, such as Gilbert Teodoro, who's NPC, and even Ephraim Genuino, whose party is a gambling empire. Maybe Roquero is saying that if jueteng lords can lord it over the Pampanga Republic, why not a big-time casino lord to lord it over the Philippine Republic? May konting logic nga naman.

As if for consuelo de bobo, Roquero mentions Bayani Fernando of Marikina and the pink tarpaulins, as well as Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City and the Philippine Star. And then Vice-President Noli de Castro, who simply refuses to bite the Lakas "apple".

And now, Ed Malay, FVR's spokesman, lists down senatorial hopefuls for 2010, again trying to get the nation to take notice of their once humongous, now limping, Lakas. And who are in his list?

There's the VAT champion, now NEDA director general Ralph Recto. Last time I knew, he listed down his party as Nacionalista. Also Juan Ponce Enrile, an incumbent senator, who won with the colors of Erap's PMP wrapped around him in 2004. And Miriam Defensor Santiago, who has her own party of one, PRP, which in 2004 coalesced with the K-4 of Dona Gloria's cheating enterprise. Jun Magsaysay, the twice-elected senator who as far as I know now sports the Liberal Party tag. Even Lito Atienza, three-term mayor of the City of Manila, who has always been a Liberal, even if Mar Roxas considers him outside the kulambo. And Edu Manzano, the nemesis of DVD-DVD, whose party is more Kapamilya than Lakas.

So sino ang totoong Lakas? Well, Malay mentions Jose de Venecia, the speaker who has yet to speak the unspeakable. And Bong Revilla, the incumbent senator.

But why isn't Lakas mentioning any cabinet member other than Ralph Recto, who is not even certifiably Lakas? Is this like saying they will divorce themselves, finally, from being kakampi of Dona Gloria?

Lito Banayo

Lito Banayo’s involvement in Philippine politics began with a chance encounter with the late Benigno Aquino, Jr. in the spring of 1981, at the Washington Hotel in Washington D.C. Ninoy Aquino was then on exile, after having undergone heart bypass surgery. That started a series of week-end visits to Ninoy’s home in Boston.

In the fall of 1982, Lito decided to come home to the Philippines after two-year stay in the United States, and as he bade goodbye to Ninoy, he was asked to help the then fledging political opposition in the country.

Lito Banayo asked Ninoy who he would report to, and was told to see Doy Laurel. Banayo was quizzical, for the Laurels had been Marcos’ political padrinos in the past. Ninoy told him however that Doy Laurel and he grew up together and were almost like brothers. Thus did Lito Banayo enter the world of a political technician, his description for the kind of work he has been doing since.

He helped Doy Laurel and Eva Estrada Kalaw organized the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) which became the major coalition against the Marcos regime. At a time when media was controlled and Marcos’ monolithic political party, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) was all over, UNIDO put up a difficult but nonetheless successful struggle.

In the 1984 Batasang Pambansan elections, the UNIDO coalition won 60 of 180 seats, with an overwhelming majority in Metro Manila and key capital cities. Lito Banayo was deputy spokesperson and deputy campaign manager of that national campaign, working under Ernesto Maceda, who later became Senate President, and Alfonso Policarpio, Ninoy’s publicist.

When Ninoy Aquino returned to the Philippines after years of exile, it was Lito Banayo who, along with Erik Espina, coined the welcome slogan “Ninoy, Hindi Ka Nag-iisa,” a welcome greeting that eventually became a political battlecry after the latter was assassinated at the tarmac of the international airport.

When Cory Aquino, Ninoy’s widow, and Doy Laurel, his childhood friend, later challenged Ferdinand Marcos in the historic “snap” elections of February 1986, Lito was one of the major campaign technicians in an effort that drew many volunteers from all walks of life.

He was appointed Postmaster-General after the Edsa uprising that resulted in the downfall of Marcos and the ascent of Aquino. At the postal office, he initiated major systemic reforms, and initiated its transformation from a budget-dependent office under the transport and communications department into an autonomous government corporation now called Philippine Postal Corporation.

He has become political consultant to various names in Philippine politics – Senator Orlando Mercado, Senate President Marcelo B. Fernan, and now Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. He was consultant too of Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr., Ronaldo Zamora, Manuel A. Roxas III and Hernando B. Perez, all congressmen at the time.

In 1992, he was campaign spokesman of the Mitra-Fernan presidential tandem. In 1995, he handled the campaign of Senator, later Senate President Marcelo B. Fernan. In 1998, he was in the campaign team that helped Joseph Ejercito Estrada become president of the land. His erstwhile principal, Mercado, was named campaign manager. During the term of President Estrada, he was Secretary-General of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, the political party of the then President.

He served as General Manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority from June 30, 1998 to November 3, 2000. He was also concurrently appointed as Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs with cabinet rank, by President Joseph Estrada. Although he resigned from the Estrada cabinet earlier, he was with the deposed president until his last hours in Malacanang.

In 2001, he was campaign manager for then retired PNP director-general Ping Lacson’s difficult but highly successful run for the Philippine Senate. He also helped Ping Lacson as a contender for the presidency in 2004, as well as Manila Mayor Lito Atienza in administrative matters at City Hall during his term.

Lito Banayo finished Economics at Letran College, then undertook graduate studies at the Ateneo Business School, as well as the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration.

He is native of San Pablo City, Laguna, and Malolos, Bulacan, but his family has moved to Butuan City in Agusan del Norte since the early sixties, although he himself has lived in Manila throughout most of his life. He is married and is blessed with three children.